Ramon Allones Gigantes POS FEB 07

[shrink]

I was restricted to one bottle of wine and two cigars (my traditional Friday warmup routine).

I'm not sure what is the sadder of the two...

The state of recent RAG's, or your state of deprivation. More's the pity, Rob. I don't know how you can soldier on under these trying circumstances. :-(

Thank God I've still got half of box of my mid-05's. They are everything you described.. full bodied, and rich with nutty and fruity flavors. These and the Estupendos will have to see me through until the next generation of RAG's.

Thanks for the review, disappointing though it may be.

[El Presidente]

» I was restricted to one bottle of wine and two cigars (my traditional

» Friday warmup routine).

»

» I'm not sure what is the sadder of the two...

I train high performance Rugby athletes. I set the standard ;-)

[bassman]

My 02 RAGs have been fantastic, but are almost gone.:crying: Looks like a few more Estupendos will be needed.

[El Presidente]

Ramon Allones Gigantes POS FEB 07

This was my Friday afternoon cigar. I had time, the deck at Czar House Rocking chairs were well filled with guest appearances of Graeme, Scotty, Ken and PJ.

Since Rugby Training commences at 6pm on a Friday I was restricted to one bottle of wine and two cigars (my traditional Friday warmup routine). My experience is that if I have an excellent cigar, my mood lightens and the kids have a fairly easy training sesion. They worked hard last Friday.

One of the great cigars in my memory bank was a Ramon Allones Gigantes some 5 years ago with Macho on the deck at my house. This was when you could not find a RAG for love nor money and they had just become available again in decent numbers. Rich, voluptuos full bodied, full flavoured cigars with a profile of stewed christmas fruits. I still remeber that cigar, those cigars and compare every RAG to them. Something has gone awry in the world of Rag oer the past 18 months at least in my experience. Gone is the full bodied nature, gone are the dese stewed fruits and going is my love affair.

The Friday cigar looked good. Well rolled with a "nice" bouquet of cream tobacco and sea salt. Cerrated the cap and the draw was fine. Clean tobacco on the palate from the test draw.

Fired up the foot and received lovely elegant cream flavour in an upper light/medium body. An inch in and I am still receiving an elegant cream flavour in a light/medium bodie profile. Halfway through and I am still receiving a light/medium body in a light/medium profile. BORING

Come on fella's! This is not the way a Ramon Allones Gigantes should be! How in Hades name could it come to this? Where is the depth, the soul, the essence of future greatness? Where is the backbone of flavour from which will evolve something of complexity, where is the richness even if it unbalanced due to youth? This cigar asks no questions, makes no statement, issues no challenges, hides no alluring secrets of future self?

Focusing on the positives I can point to a clean flavour profile of cream and milk based biscuits with a slight coffee edge. The RAG was well behaved and showed few signs of youth. But seriously, this is meant to be a two hour cigar. It is mean't to showcase some Ramon Allones traits and in a manner which seduces, bewitches and leaves you in a reflective state celebrrating all that is great about this famous Marque. True it is a very young cigar and the blender can argue that time will cast its magical spell. However I have always smoked young RA Gigantes and so I think I can make some valid comparisons and this is not in any way comparable to the strength and complexity of young RAGS from years gone by.

I need to hear from members who have had "great" recent Ramon Allones Gigantes just to give me a little faith that not all is lost.

84/100 3/6 Smokerings

Ken with a Genios (not "is a")